Last year, Cleveland State University student Kayla Crissman visited Viking Public House two to three times a week using meal exchanges. This year, she said she no longer goes to any of the retail dining locations.

The difference is the meal swipe. CSU students have the option of buying a meal plan each semester, which in fall 2026 topped out at $2,576 for the Green & White Unlimited All Access plan.

For the 2026-27 academic year, CSU changed its meal-exchange system so students can use a $5 cash equivalency -- previously a full meal exchange at Viking Pubhouse, Hissho Sushi and The Longship Food Truck -- at participating retail locations like Viking Public House, Hissho Sushi, Chick-fil-A, Viking Express and Crust &Co. To Go.  Amanda Casey, executive director of Hospitality Services at CSU, explained the change.

“We listened to student feedback and heard that students wanted more flexibility and a wider variety of dining choices when using their meal swipes,” Casey said.

However, for Crissman, a 19-year-old accounting major, the change has meant using retail dining less, not more.

“I don’t really think it’s worth it anymore because you’re only getting $5 off per swipe, and half the time the meal is $10-$12,” Crissman said. “So you’re only getting half off instead of free things."

CSU said students can still use their meal swipes at Viking Marketplace to receive the full value of their meal plan. Using cash equivalency at the retail locations is optional.

CSU did not explain how it determined the $5 value or how it compares with the value students received through the previous meal-exchange system.

The change has also affected how often Crissman eats on campus. Last year, she said she typically went to the dining hall three times a day and the Viking Public House three times a week. This semester, she feels the dining hall is her only option, eating there twice a day.

“I don’t go to the dining retail locations anymore,” Crissman said.

Instead of giving Crissman more flexibility, the change has kept her away from the retail locations she used regularly last year.

“My friends also think it’s stupid how they got rid of the free exchange,” Crissman said. “That’s really not fair."

A new way to order

Meal swipes aren't the only part of campus dining that changed this year.

CSU introduced Grubhub for ordering at Chick-fil-A, Hissho Sushi, Viking Public House and Viking Express, saying the platform was introduced to make ordering more convenient and familiar for students.

Janna Elsayed, a 20-year-old mechanical technology engineering student who previously used meal swipes and Dining Dollars at retail locations, said she has only gone to Viking Marketplace this semester.

“They took out the self-service machines at Hissho Sushi, and now you have to order on Grubhub," Elsayed said. "So I haven't ordered yet because it makes it more difficult.”

CSU said Grubhub lets students browse menus, place orders and pick up meals on the go.

Not every change is a problem

Under the new system, meal plans are no longer required for students living in The Langston and The Edge. CSU added that both buildings have full kitchens, providing the option of cooking for the many juniors, seniors and graduate students who live there.

While some students said the dining changes have made campus dining more difficult, making meal plans optional at The Langston has benefited Aubrey Evans.

Evans, 20, a junior Public Relations student who lives at The Langston, said having the option to skip a meal plan means more freedom over what she eats and how she spends her money.

“Not being required to have a meal plan really helps me out financially,” Evans said. “I like not having a meal plan because I can have more variety in what I eat, especially as an athlete.”

Having a full kitchen is a major reason Evans chooses not to have a meal plan.

“It is up to me to grocery shop and cook for myself, but having a kitchen definitely makes it easier,” Evans said.

Although Evans said she sometimes wishes she had Dining Dollars to use at places such as Starbucks or Viking Public House, she enjoys having more freedom to choose her meals.

CSU’s reasoning

CSU said student feedback, dining trends and operational considerations shaped the dining changes.

The university said meal-plan options remained the same for the 2026-27 academic year, with a modest price increase driven primarily by rising food and operating costs and planning for the incoming student class.

CSU said its goal is to provide students with convenient, high-quality dining options while giving them more flexibility and managing increasing costs.

However, for Crissman and others in a similar situation, the changes have not provided the same value she experienced under the previous meal-exchange system.

If she could change one thing about CSU’s current dining system, she knows exactly what it would be.

“Give back the full meal exchange.”